Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 98, 1890.05.10

In this witty sketch of a society suddenly bound by an eight‑hour work limit, the day begins with a courtroom scene that quickly turns absurd. Barrister John Jones, mid‑argument, is cut off by a judge who cites the new law, forcing the lawyer to abandon his case and wander the unusually quiet streets of London. The streets are eerily empty—omnibus, cab, and tram services have all halted, and even the police are packing up for the day.

Jones’s attempts to find normalcy lead him to a bustling Fleet Street office, a half‑empty restaurant, and a theater where the curtain falls early because the performers have already exhausted their allotted hours. Along the embankment he joins a motley group of students, clergy, and artists, all sharing the same bewildered curiosity about how life will adjust. The episode ends with Jones confronting his own health and the strange legal paradoxes the new legislation creates, leaving listeners eager to hear how London copes with this sudden, comic upheaval.